New England Manners And Customs In The Time Of Bryant's Early Life

New England Manners And Customs In The Time Of Bryant's Early Life, by Mrs. H. G. Row. This article, originally published in Bay State Monthly in 1886, discusses various customs and cultural elements evident during the early life era of William Cullen Bryant (1794-1878).

An Old Deerfield Letter

An Old Deerfield Letter. From New England Monthly, 1890. Four page letter by Ebenezer Grant written sometime after 1710 from events relayed to him by Lieutenant Childs and Mr. Hoit regarding a company led by Mr. Write [sic] who left Deerfield in 1710 to pursue Indians in Canada.

The Home of Josh Billings

The Home of Josh Billings, by Edith Parker Thomson. Short article describing the author Henry Wheeler Shaw (1818-1885), who had the pen name of "Josh Billings." Shaw was a well-known humorist and was said to be better known in his time than his contemporary, Mark Twain. "Josh Billiings" is still quoted, even today. Shaw was originally from Lanesborough, a focus of this article.

The Massachusetts Slave Trade

The Massachusetts Slave Trade, written by Lilian Brandt. Scholarly article with primary sources cited on the early involvement of Massachusetts both directly and indirectly with the slave trade. Originally published in New England Magazine, 1899.

Adams and North Adams

Adams and North Adams, by Clinton Q. Richmond.
Twenty-one page article describing the history of Adams and North Adams, Massachusetts. Some of the topics addressed include geography, Fort Massachusetts, Ephraim Williams, French & Indian War, Manufacturing companies, prominent citizens, the state Normal School and the eventual split of Adams into two towns. Originally published in New England Magazine, 1899. Illustrated.

Before The Statue Of The Puritan

The Puritan, statue by Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907), served as inspiration for this poem by F. Whitmore. Placed at the Quadrangle in 1899, the statue memorializes Deacon Samuel Chapin, one of Springfield's earliest settlers. From New England Magazine, 1900.

The Old Pittsfield Church & Yuletide In An Old English City

The Old Pittsfield Church And Its Three Meeting-Houses, A Chapter of Evolution, by Mrs. H. M. Plunkett.
Vintage 1893 article, originally published in New England Monthly. Article provides a history of the three sequential meeting-houses (churches) in Pittsfield. Interesting look at ecclesiastical history and touches on early issues regarding separation of church & state. Illustrated.

and

Yuletide In An Old English City, by By Cecil Logsdail. Short article reminescing upon the customs and traditions of an old-fashioned English holiday season, including Christmas, Twelfth Night and New Year. Originally published in New England Magazine, 1893.

Mount Auburn Cemetery

Mount Auburn, by Frank Foxcroft. Reproduced from a 1896 article published in New England Monthly. History of the cemetery and profiles of various buildings and monuments with some discussion of some of the more famous people buried within. Illustrated, including a detailed cemetery map.

Normal College of New York City

Normal College of New York City, by William H. Rideing, 1878. Detailed discussion of the Normal College, its history, teacher course curriculum, rules and requirements. Some interesting observations on the daily proceedings within the school. Nice article on early higher education for women.

George Fuller

George Fuller (1822 - 1884), a well-respected painter of his time was born in Deerfield, Franklin County Massachuetts. This article was published originally in New England Monthly the year of Fuller's death and focuses upon his career and painting. About ten pages. Interesting read with notes where a few of his paintings may be viewed.

Springfield, Massachusetts

Reproduction of an1894 article originally published in New England Monthly. It is a twenty-five page concise history of Springfield that talks about early settlers, Shay's Rebellion, Churches, newspapers & publishing, the role of the Springfield Arsenal, slavery, leading citizens and much more. Many photographs and illustrations.

Springfield, Massachusetts, by Clarence E. Blake, Ph.D.

The Medieval Library

The Medieval Library, by Ernest Cushing Richardson, Ph.D., Princeton Librarian, 1905. Interesting historic look at the development of libraries with a focus on monks & monasteries in the medieval period. Discusses book acquisition and reproduction, loans, chained library and more.

Knitting & Other Crafts

One of the big regrets I have in life is my lack of documentation for my knitting and other projects. I simply created things and (mostly) gave them away as gifts. Now I realize I should have taken photos, but for me at the time, it was just the pure joy of doing these things.

Oh well a lesson well-learned.

I do have some photos and have started building a little area of my various creations. You are welcome to have a look.

Scotland

After working on this one for more than a week, it is a pleasure to introduce 50 maps of Scotland, reproduced from the 1903 book entitled Handbook for Travellers in Scotland, Scott Moncrieff Penney, M.A., Editor.

I do object to online maps when nothing much on them is actually legible, so these maps are relatively large files ranging from 200kb - 650 kb. Probably not great for someone with dail-up. I'll be monitoring use closely -- if it becomes too much of a bandwidth burden upon my account the pages may have to be restructured. We'll see. So, for the moment, enjoy the detail!